"The State of Israel ... will ensure complete equality of social and political
rights of all its inhabitants irrespective of religion ... it will guarantee freedom
of religion and conscience." - May 1948)

The forceful speech made by Yair Lapid at the Knesset yesterday during a debate on a bill proposed by MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, Chair of the Knesset Finance Committee, regarding Shabbat.

The clash of religion and state in Israel is escalating. The Israeli media focuses very much on either the investigations of corruption involving PM Netanyahu (and others), and the frantic attempts to amend the law to weaken the hand of Israel's law enforcement agencies. Or else - scandals involving blue laws in Israel, with the focus on businesses operating on Shabbat, maintenance on Israel's railways on Shabbat, the pressure to include Jewish religious law in the Nation-state bill, and gender segregated programs in higher education - to name a few.

Recently, we’ve shared some deeper insights into two core issues, which involve the unholy alliance of religion and state, namely - gender equality and Haredi education. We trust that reading our posts will give you the ability to more critically screen official pronouncements coming from governmental representatives. Many of these issues go to the heart of international norms of human dignity and equality, which are being trampled in Israel for political gains.

As Hiddush's 2017 Israel Religion & State Index indicated, these concerns are likely to play a growing role in the upcoming Knesset elections (whenever they take place). The public already translated its frustration with issues of religion and state in the 2013 elections, as well as previously, and current polling by a number of sources indicates (once again) an anticipated rise in the representation of the centrist Yesh Atid party. With this in mind, one can consider the forceful speech made by Yair Lapid at the Knesset yesterday during a debate on a bill proposed by MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, Chair of the Knesset Finance Committee, regarding Shabbat.

Here are his words:

”When will you learn, MK Gafni? What harm will you cause before you learn? I love Shabbat, MK Gafni, no less than you. I have a Shabbos table - in a different way. I have mine, you have yours. When will you learn what damage this causes? And you know what, if you've already quoted "Keep the Sabbath day," I remind you that the verse begins: "Six days will you work." How would people get to work, how would they get to the army, if they are not given the tools?

The God of Israel does not need any suggestions from you. The tradition of Israel survived very well without you. All you do is make laws to increase hatred in Israel.

”The tradition of Israel is important. I am in favor of the Jewish tradition. I think we all need the tradition of Israel. The tradition of Israel has worked exceptionally well for thousands of years without laws that only intend to stick a finger in the eye of others. Does that increase love for Israel in your eyes? Does this sanctify and respect the Israeli Sabbath in your eyes? Is it good for Israeli dialogue in your opinion? The God of Israel does not need any suggestions from you. The tradition of Israel survived very well without you. All you do is make laws to increase hatred in Israel.

”I'll tell you something else, MK Gafni. It's not yours. The tradition of Israel is not yours. She is mine, she also belongs to this side, she also belongs to this side. It is not owned by you. There is not one version. And we will not accept from you the idea that there is one version.

”If you need to write a law, you know there is something crooked about it. The whole goal is to create more laws of religious coercion. Do you want a dialogue about Shabbat? MK Glick, do you want a dialogue about Shabbat? Come and talk. Because this is not the tradition of Israel. This is legislated religious coercion, Minister Elkin. There's a difference.

”The tradition of Israel has always been based on love of Israel, on dialogue, on the fact that all of us together, Minister Elkin, have a discussion about what the Israeli Sabbath is. You, instead, your whole party, the whole Likud, you bought into a version of Judaism of a small faction of the Jewish people, and you do not care about anyone else. The Tradition of Israel - Excuse me: Four people entered the orchard, Minister Elkin, and spoke to each other. We are not the other, and you will not force Judaism on us, because it is not yours.”

The Labor party, which could also potentially benefit from this shifting mood, is still wavering. While their leader Avi Gabbay recently stated his support for public transportation on Shabbat, he angered many inside and outside Labor by saying that the Left has forgotten how to be Jewish. Time will tell.

Hiddush is closely following these developments and publicizing the public's views, breaking them by the voters' political preferences. We hope that the relevant political leaders across the civil political spectrum will heed the public's will. In the meantime - we urge you to support the work of Hiddush, aimed at transforming the Israeli reality to meet both the will of the public and Israel's founding vision enshrined in its Declaration of Independence for freedom of religion and conscience for all.